Posted on 08/15/2006 8:34:10 AM PDT by neverdem
Though chemotherapy and other treatments have lengthened the lives of people with metastasized cancer, no drugs have been specifically formulated to halt the process. That is because metastasis has remained something of a mystery until the last five years or so.
“In the last 30 years, we’ve learned all about identifying genes whose mutations initiate tumors,” said Dr. Joan Massagué, chairman of the Cancer Biology and Genetics Program at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. But these advances, he added, did not explain the metastatic process.
Now, knowledge of metastasis is beginning to accumulate to the point that new therapies are entering the pipeline.
“In terms of milestones or breakthroughs, most of them are about to be made,” said Dr. Massagué.
Dr. Patricia S. Steeg, chief of the women’s cancers section of the Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology at the National Cancer Institute, said she was optimistic for the first time. “The trickle is close, the first agents are in early clinical testing or will be soon,” she said. “I’m very enthusiastic, much more than I was five years ago.”
The complexity of metastasis may well have discouraged research. To metastasize, cancer cells have to acquire several dozen genetic alterations — in contrast with the handful typically necessary to initiate a primary tumor, Dr. Massagué said. Further complicating matters, each case of metastasis — breast cancer that spreads to a lung, for instance, or prostate cancer that spreads to bone — is genetically and molecularly different from the rest.
Studying metastasis is expensive and time-consuming, and it requires animal studies to track cancer cells that spread.
Dr. Danny Welch, professor of pathology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said scientists had avoided this area of inquiry. “There are under 100 people in the world whose labs focus on understanding...,”
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
In John Stossel's book, "Myths, Lies and Downright Stupidity", he explodes the notion that there is a cancer epidemic and notes that cancer treatments are better, cancer detection catches it sooner and that the overall rate of cancer has not changed appreciably in approximately 20 years. It is remaining relatively stable and, in some cases, is declining. This is just more scare stories.
Whether or not there is an epidemic, being able to block or treat metastasis would be huge for those who are inflicted with such.
Indeed. I wonder how many folks who drop dead at 80 from heart failure have several tumors that are never diagnosed.
Due to longer lifespans, the likelihood of contracting cancer increases.
More hoplophobia from the medical establishment trying to sell their pills.
Now if the could just find out how to get rid of it *after* it has metastasized, I'd be looking good...
There's not a day goes by that I don't learn something on FR. Macrophages for example. Thanks for posting this. A member of my family was on a clinical trial @ MD Anderson in Houston which blocked off the arteries feeding the tumor. It (Stage 4 tumor) all but disappeared for three years - two of which she would not have had if not for this treatment.
I'll say. I just lost a friend whose lung cancer spread to the bones and the kidneys and within a year she was gone. To think something could have extended her life is just wonderful.
This story describes progress in understanding metastasis. What story are you reading?
Whoops, I'm not against cancer research at all. Don't take it that way.
I was trying to point out that many people die every year from other causes who also have undiagnosed cancers. At my age and yours, we're already far past the historically average lifespan for men, and not so many women die giving birth at 16 anymore, so we're going to die from something else.
My point is our generally longer lives give us a greater opportunity to contract cancer, since not so many of us drop dead from heart disease at 40. There is no cancer "epidemic", and if half of what the EPA has claimed were remotely true, we would all be dead with it by 35.
I'm sorry you have suffered through this disease. I lost a fiance' at 21 to leukemia, so I'm all for research.
What story are you reading?
I'm terribly sorry for your mother's suffering and loss. I know that her death was hard and you will always be touched by it.
Cancer is, unfortunately, a fact of life, like the common cold. Some of us are genetically conditioned to get it, others aren't. Some people get diabetes, others don't. Life is what it is. Scare stories are not a cure and, in the long run, those who are genetically disposed to the disease are going to get it, no matter how many scare stories there are. Maybe controlling metasis (sp) can lead to a cure, or just a better treatment to controls the spread. The one thing I know is that it won't likely happen during my lifetime.
Elusive Proof, Elusive Prover: A New Mathematical Mystery
FReepmail me if you want on or off my health and science ping list.
So what are you implying? Cancer is a fact of life...get over it? Why all the hostility to people who find hope in the news posted here?
BTW, a discussion of new treatments for the disease is not a scare story.
"cancer treatments are better, cancer detection catches it sooner and that the overall rate of cancer has not changed appreciably in approximately 20 years."
So much for all the 'prevention.'
I read your blog. Had hard time seeing the words from the water in my eyes. Hope all is well.
Thanks.. I linked it in my profile here because it started out as a place to write about my politics, the war etc. but it then turned into a place for me to chronical my adventures with kidney cancer... Mostly of interest just to myself. Thanks for reading though.
Thanks for a fascinating article, and I'm bookmarking it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.